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mmigration to the Dominican Republic from the various regions of present-day Italy dates back to the
arrival of Christopher Columbus. Immigrants traveled to the island for various reasons: some came as
members of religious orders or as soldiers in military detachments and others for motives more economic
and intellectual. As with other waves of immigration from other places, every era brought a continuous
flow from different regions, almost always due to family ties. As can be seen in the Dominican Republic at the
outset of the nineteenth century, Italians generally came from the Piedmont region around Turin. By the mid-
dle of the century, they arrived from Liguria (Genoa and its environs); by the turn of the century, they were
arriving from Campania and Calabria, southern Italy. With the sugar and coffee boom, families with French
citizenship but Italian background arrived from Corsica.
The following list begins with immigrants from Piedmont, many of whom arrived in either the Spanish
or French armies.
Juan Antonio Billini Ruse (1787–1852), from Alba Pompeia, Cuneo, Piedmont. He arrived in Santo Do-
mingo in 1805 as a solider in the service of France. He was the son of José Antonio Billini and Ana Dominga
Ruse. His last name must have been changed to Villin, and he became a merchant and was married for the
first time on May 27, 1811, at the Cathedral of Santo Domingo to Juana Mota Arvelo,
1
a resident of San Carlos
and a native of the Canary Islands. After the death of his wife, he married Ana Joaquina Hernández-Cuello
González
2
on February 6, 1820. Famous descendants of Juan Antonio Billini include: the priest Francisco Xa-
vier Billini Hernández, founder of several charitable organizations; Hipólito Billini Hernández, a prominent
figure and signer of the Separation Act of January 16, 1844;
3
José Altagracia Billini Mota, another prominent
figure in the Separation Act of 1844; Francisco Gregorio (Goyito) Billini Aristi, President of the Dominican Re-
public from 1884–1885 and author of the novel
Baní o Engracia y Antoñita
. The Billinis lived primarily in Santo
Domingo, Baní, and San José de los Llanos (San Pedro de Macorís).
The Bona family descends from Lorenzo Bona, a sergeant in the Regimiento Fijo de Puerto Rico and a
native of Genoa, Italy.
4
He married Merced Pérez Díaz-Morales, a resident of San Carlos originally from the
Canary Islands in 1798. Their son Vicente Ignacio Bona Pérez (circa 1800–1844) was a retail merchant, and
also signer of the Separation Manifesto on January 16, 1844. Ignacio Bona appears as the godfather of many
Febrerista movement members in the baptismal records of the Cathedral of San Carlos. In a will dated Sep-
tember 4, 1844, before the notary José María Pérez, Ignacio Bona stated that he had nine children: Concepción
(who created the first Dominican flag); Manuel; Agueda; Francisco; Balbina; Merced; Antonio; Rafaela; and
Altagracia.
5
The Bonas had their home on Calle El Conde, almost in front of the Baluarte del Conde bulwark,
the patriotic site where the first flag was hoisted on that memorable night of February 27 when the war for in-
CHAPTER 2
Italian Immigration to Santo Domingo
and to the Southern and Eastern Regions
of the Dominican Republic
By Antonio J. Guerra Sánchez
Director of the Engineering Laboratory and member of the UNPHU Academic Committee
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